Letter: Mean-Spirited Sort of Insensitivity

A few weeks ago, a senator from Idaho was quoted as saying, “Just because you are poor does not give you the right to health care.” Alan Tanenbaum, in his Sept. 25 letter, referred to the Democratic Party as supporting a “nanny state.” He also whipped off a number of damaging economic conditions that are and will be caused by the Affordable Care Act (as Republicans love to do), even though these are completely hypothetical and disavowed as nonsense by a majority of respected economists. The point is, no one knows for sure how this will all play out, but the party line is that the law will bankrupt the country and make the poor poorer and that our present health care system is just fine.

Ask people in their 20s or patients who can’t get coverage because of a pre-existing condition what they think. When Republicans love to talk about increasing premiums (without long-run proof, of course), they do not mention that significant subsidies will actually make insurance a lot cheaper for those who really need help. In addition, major medical institutions around the country won’t mind an increase in collectable accounts, which makes it cheaper for all of us.

A major complaint is that it is too complicated. Well, duh! It is complicated. I ask everyone to open up their existing health insurance policy, read it in a day and then tell me how well you understand it. That’s why we ask independent insurance representatives to explain it all to us.

Not only has the Republican Party become insensitive to the needs of the poor, it is actually mean-spirited about it. Let us not forget that an election was won by the other party, a law was passed and upheld by the Supreme Court, and Tea Party groupies are asking people to ignore a law! We used to call people who did this anarchists. One Tea Party member referred to his fellow-believers as the new “Rosa Parkses.” Please.

To the Editor: Polls consistently show that the majority of Americans are opposed to Obamacare. They fear that health care will be degraded under the full effects of the law. Premiums are already skyrocketing. Businesses are transferring employees and retirees to the so-called “exchanges.” Part-time jobs have become the norm for the “new economy.” No congressional Republican voted for Obamacare. …